'Champion,' the Story of Danny Trejo

'Champion,' the Story of Danny Trejo

A Film With Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Steve Buscemi and Robert Rodriguez

'I was into guns, I was into drugs. I was into whatever I had to do.' - Danny Trejo

HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Film Emporium, A Motion Picture Company's documentary "Champion" chronicles the life of Danny Trejo. At 10, Danny Trejo was arrested. At 12, he shot heroin for the first time. At 13, he robbed a liquor store. At 16 he went to prison, where he would spend the majority of the next ten years.

"Champion" takes you on a journey from the unforgiving streets of Echo Park and Pacoima to the brutal cell blocks of San Quentin and Soledad, where Trejo was put in "the hole" for three and a half months. The time in solitary was a turning point for Trejo. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous and was released from prison in February 1969, vowing to stay clean.

It wasn't an easy promise to keep, but he persevered. He found work as a drug counselor. "If it wasn't for God and 12-step programs," he says, "I wouldn't be here."

Candid, funny, and possessing a charisma that is impossible to ignore, Trejo has since turned himself into a celebrity. He caught the attention of the film community and won roles in such films as "Con Air," "Heat," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" and "Spy Kids." He uses his celebrity now to help juvenile offenders and others headed down the wrong path, and he cherishes a happy, stable family life.

Trejo is a true American original that you will not soon forget. This is his story.

The documentary film "Champion," a production of The Film Emporium, A Motion Picture Company features Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Steve Buscemi and Robert Rodriguez. The film is directed by Joe Eckardt and produced by Joe Eckardt and Cecily Gambrell.

WINNER Best Documentary, 2005 Phoenix Film Festival 2005 Imagen Award Nominee for Best Documentary Champion of Conscience Award, 2005 Wine Country Film Festival * * Los Angeles premiere at the 2005 Hollywood Film Festival Oct. 22 * *

www.championmovie.com www.thefilmemporium.com

CONTACT: Cecily Gambrell, 818-642-8340, cecilygambrell@aol.com

Source: The Film Emporium, A Motion Picture Company

CONTACT: Cecily Gambrell of The Film Emporium, A Motion Picture Company, +1-818-642-8340, cecilygambrell@aol.com

Web site: http://www.championmovie.com/ http://www.thefilmemporium.com/

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